I have a slight obsession with painting my nails... The first step is admitting you have a problem, right? Done.
I hate having chipped nails and I hate not having them painted, so I'm constantly painting my nails.
I find some great ideas and pin them to my "Nail Polish Obsession" board on Pinterest to try them out myself.
Recently I discovered OPI's Germany Collection and want all of them more for their names than for the actual colors! - Nein! Nein! Nein! OK Fine!, Berlin There Done That, Don't Pretzel My Buttons, etc. I admit, it's an issue!
I recently became a Julep Maven! Julep is a type of nail polish and being a Maven means that for $20 a month they send me a box full of fun nail polishes based on my style! They give you a quiz to determine your style when you sign up- American Beauty, Classic with a Twist, It Girl, or Bombshell. I'm an American Beauty. They'll send you the Maven box of your style each month or you can choose to get a different style box. I prefer painting my own nails as opposed to getting manicures and I figure if I got my nails done regularly it would be more than $20 a month, so this is totally logical. Plus, if I wasn't a maven I would be buying nail polish on the reg anyway! Being a Maven makes it even more fun and who doesn't love getting packages in the mail?
If you sign up to be a Maven there are tons of rewards too! They give you discounts on their other products and are always letting you "add-on" to your boxes. If you're obsessed with painting your nails, like me, you should definitely check it out!
I am still on the hunt for a top coat that I love, so if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.
In one of my Julep Maven Boxes I received Quick Dry Polish Drops and I love it! The regular price for the drops is $14 (or $11.20 for Mavens) and I also received them with 2 nail polishes for $20! Great Deal! :)
Use my referral link or click the badge on the right to sign up to be a Maven. You could also use my invitation code when you register- 5354580!
Jason Aldean is an artist that has progressively climbed the charts throughout his career.
I'll never forget the first time I heard his first single Hicktown. We were on vacation in Cancun and all of the kids were at the "club" at the resort. A beach blonde, shaggy haired boy sang that song on karaoke and he fit it perfectly. I came home from vacation, downloaded the song and have been listening to Jason Aldean ever since. That song peaked at #9 after about 40-50 weeks of being released.
Jason has had a number of hits since then including Why (his first #1), Amarillo Sky, Big Green Tractor, and of course My Kinda Party to name a few.
Jason Aldean's latest single Take a Little Ride made it to #1 in just a couple weeks, infact, I heard on SiriusXM's The Highway that Jason Aldean is the artist who has been at #1 the most in the last 12 months. Pretty Impressive.
I had no doubt that this Night Train album was going to take over the charts just like his previous album My Kinda Party did. But I have to admit I've been interested to see how Night Train does ever since his recent scandal. Jason was photographed flirting and kissing a woman who is not his wife after too much to drink one night while on tour. He made a public apology via Twitter and we haven't heard much about it since.
I have been dying to hear this album, constantly wondering what he was going to do to top My Kinda Party or even Wide Open. I was dying to hear the songs- what they were going to be about, what kind of sound this album was going to have- the lyrics, the instrumentals, everything! I couldn't wait.
I got the pleasure of listening to some of Night Train while tuning into The Highway on SiriusXM (what a treat!). The Highway did an album premier party and had Jason talk about the songs that they played. I was smiling the entire time. I loved all of the songs and didn't know how I was going to wait the 3 days til I could download the whole thing.
The album is amazing!
He continues to impress and make me want more album after album!
Jason Aldean is an artist you, well I, never want to skip over. There are artists that I am a huge fan of but sometimes still find myself reaching for the "next" button when a particular song comes up on my iPod, not Jason. If my iPod is on shuffle and a Jason Aldean song comes on, it always stays. I never get sick of his songs and always love listening to him.
This album is no different. I have been listening to it non-stop since I downloaded it and can't get enough. I found myself tapping my foot and completely sinking into the songs while I had it playing in the background at work. It was definitely a challenge trying to decide which songs I like best on the impressive 15 track list. I could barely narrow it down to five (so I included six videos in this post. Overload? Sorry I couldn't help it. They're worth listening to. Promise!)
One song that defnitely stands out to me is one with something I've never heard before. Jason does a song with Luke Bryan and Eric Church on this album called The Only Way I Know. He called it a "tri-ette" on his premier party with The Highway! That song is great- with three amazing/big time country artists singing together on a track that fits them all perfectly. How can it not be awesome?
I also like "1994" more because of my story with it than for the actual song. The song is co-written by Thomas Rhett, my favorite new-comer to country music (post about him to come soon). While I was listening to the song during the premier party I knew I had heard it before. The first time I heard this song was while I was watching various YouTube videos of Thomas Rhett- I remember smiling and laughing cause the song is just fun like that! Thomas Rhett has performed that song while on tour and started "The Diffie" contest for fans to submit videos of them doing "The Diffie" - pretty much a dance you make up that you think is "The Diffie" (aka country version of "The Dougie"). I liked hearing Jason sing it as well. It's a fun song with a catchy beat, rhythm and chorus... one you can be sure will get stuck in your head.
This album covers the spectrum of fun, upbeat, down home country songs to heart felt stories of lost souls, loneliness and broken hearts- everything you would expect from country music!
I highly recommend Night Train! Jason is absolutely leaving his mark on country music one incredible album at a time, you definitely don't want to miss the train as its sure to not slow down anytime soon!
For those of you who do not keep up with college football there are two things to take note of:
1. It is half way through the season and the official BCS standings have been released
2. Rutgers is 6-0 and ranked #15!
Rutgers University's Football team has had its ups and downs throughout the past decade or so. I've been going to Rutgers games for as long as I can remember. I remember being at the games of complete disappointment during a 2-9 2001 season, but I was 11 and didn't know much about football.
Things were looking up for the Rutgers Football program with Brian Leonard and Ray Rice in charge of bringing the ball down to the end zone. Rutgers was invited to bowl games concluding the 2005, '06, '07, '08, '09, and '11 seasons- winning 5-1 of those games.
In 2010 Rutgers faced unexpected hardship when Eric LeGrand became paralyzed during the October 16th game against Army at the New Meadowlands stadium. The team won that game, but didn't win another one for the rest of the season.
The bELieve mantra was born to support Eric LeGrand. "bELieve" in the Rutgers Family means that we believe in Eric LeGrand. We believe that he will walk again and we believe in the strength and power of pulling together for our own in need.
Now, 2 years and a coaching change later, Rutgers is looking better than ever.
Coach Kyle Flood took over a program that Coach Greg Schiano re-built from the ground up. Flood has continued Schiano's philosophy and kept the team "CHOPPING"!
Rutgers has been able to get a number of top recruits who are shining through the armor. The team is certainly gelling together but there are moments of lapse in judgement causing the casual scratch of the head and making you want to shout: "What the hell is going on out there"!
The outlook and schedule is very favorable for Rutgers to be 9-0 heading into the Cincinnati game (on November 17th) with potential to be ranked in the top 10.
I am extremely excited to watch the rest of the season unfold, knowing that I won't be anything short of proud of my alma mater!
So as most of you know, I love music. Music, for me, is a way to
escape, to unwind, to clear my head. I can sit and listen to music for
hours, listening to the lyrics and instrumentals that make up a great
song or smash hit.
Growing up I always had music coming from the stereo
in my room. It didn't matter what kind... I listened to John
Melloncamp, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen (Thanks to Dad); James
Taylor and Fleetwood Mac (Thanks to Uncle Tony) and of course the boy
bands of the 90's (Thanks to my generation). I've always had a soft
spot for country music, though, and that interest has flourished into a
full blown love affair. I am obsessed. I still listen to the artists I
grew up on and even attended Bruce Springsteen's latest tour- The Wrecking
Ball Tour at the Meadowlands in New Jersey (WHAT. A. SHOW.)
But over the past 10 years or so I've been hooked on Country Music. Falling in love with Rascal Flatts' Melt Album (2002) and Toby Keith's Shock'n Y'all Album (2003) and then attending both of those tours, there was no turning back. Those artists are still among my top favorites today!
For me, country music does not just produce songs, it produces stories. Those stories reflect real people, experiences, and life. I love being able to relate to a song's lyrics.
Working for a country music radio station these past months has been simply amazing. The things I've learned about the industry are invaluable and the perks are obviously unbelievable for a country nut like me.
I have a soft spot for acoustic songs. My favorite part about
working at the radio station is when new artists come in to promote
their new single and get on the radio. There's something about new
artists that I love. I think it's the fact that their heads aren't big
enough to be unappreciative of the things that helped their success
along the way. This is the part I miss most since getting a full time job and only working at the station on weekends.
Stay tuned for my reviews of new releases, including Little Big Town's Tornado, Jerrod Niemann's Free the Music, Jason Aldean's Night Train(coming October 16), Eden's Edge's self-titled debut album (I've met them twice- they're the nicest people and great performers, they deserve their own post), and my favorite newcomer, Thomas Rhett!
Here are some of my favorites right now (doesn't necessarily mean they're new):
Florida Georgia Line: Cruise
This is a new song out on country radio and it's going to be a hit!!!
I have been wanting to start a blog for a long time now and just didn't
know what I should write about or what people would want to read. So, with lots of encouragement from my friends, I decided to just go for it! (And I'll be honest, writing and playing around with this post has been more fun than I ever imagined it being, so I think I'm really going to like this blogging thing-- lucky you!)
I am a recent graduate of Rutgers University and work in Philadelphia as a Communication Coordinator for an association. I am in charge of the Monthly e-Newsletter, the website, and planning/ registration for our monthly events. I have also worked for two Philadelphia "sister" radio stations since January- starting as an intern and then getting hired part time in the promotions department. So, since I graduated and got a full time job, I have been working 7 days a week (I occasionally have a weekend day off, if I request it). In other words, I've been busy.
I like to write and
although I don't keep a steady journal I find myself writing down
thoughts and other things worth remembering (experiences, feelings,
goals, etc.) often.
I plan to post about anything I want- my adventures, college football (or sports in general, cause well, I'm obsessed.), new music reviews (Country music, cause that's all I really listen to), DIY projects (and by that I mean, DIY projects that I found on Pinterest or other blogs that I had my dad do for me!), Outfit Of The Day (OOTD- cause let's face it, we all have those days where we're like "OMG, this is so cute!"), and other things I find post worthy.
I am still getting to know Blogger and hope that my posts get better with time and experience. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! :)
